Materials & Processes Engineer III – Rocket Engine Tribology

Application Close Date

Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

At Blue Origin, we envision millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. We’re working to develop reusable, safe, and low-cost space vehicles and systems within a culture of safety, collaboration, and inclusion. Join our team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight!

This role is part of the Blue Origin Engines business unit, where our focus is the design, development, manufacturing, and testing of engines and propulsion systems. Built for multiple uses, our family of engines is powering the next generation of rockets for commercial, civil, national security, and human spaceflight.

• Relocation provided
• Travel expected up to 10% of the time
• Interviews will include a technical assessment

• Partner with component design engineers to optimize seals, bearings, and sliding mechanisms for performance and longevity.
• Assess and develop wear interfaces, including specifying surface finishes and coating solutions that meet mission requirements.
• Identify lubrication and wear-related risks early in the design cycle and implement effective mitigation strategies.
• Plan, recommend, and execute material screening and wear‑life test campaigns to validate design choices and uncover damage modalities.
• Influence material system selection, design for producibility, and rugged/robust product architecture across the program lifecycle.

• B.S. degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Material Science, or related field with a minimum of 5 years product-focused tribology application experience.
• Hands‑on experience partnering with hardware design function to develop and execute test plans to characterize friction and wear of tribological systems containing metallic and non-metallic elements.
• Fundamental understanding of the behavior of material interfaces in relative motion, to support design decisions with respect to operation in high vibration and/or in-space environments.

• Demonstrated experience supporting flight production programs.
• Experience with characterization of wear surfaces and materials using methods such as optical microscopy, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectroscopy, x-ray fluorescence, fractography, etc.
• Expertise in at least one of the following:
  • Vacuum-compatible dry film lubricants and deposition processes
  • Tribology of metal-on-metal interfaces exposed to wide temperature ranges
  • Vacuum- and propellant-compatible greases
  • Experience with surface engineering, residual stress treatments, superfinishing, coatings and other surface modifications.
• Demonstrated experience authoring specifications and process control documents.
• Experience with statistical analysis methods and related tools.
• Familiarity with standard methods for testing mechanical properties (including fatigue, fracture, creep, stress rupture) of metallic and soft materials.
• Experience with failure analysis and forensic investigations.

WA applicants: $–$

Don’t meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Blue Origin, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway.

You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Applicants for employment at Blue Origin must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e. current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

• Required for all positions:
  Blue’s Standard Background Check
• Required for Certain Job Profiles:
  Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check if at any time the role requires one to be on a military installation
• Required for Certain Job Profiles:
  Drivers who operate Commercial…